


Flower Petals and Bullet Shells

by janaswow



Category: Batman: Arkham (Video Games), Batman: Arkham - All Media Types, Batman: Arkham Knight Genesis (Comics), Batman: Arkham Unhinged (Comics), DCU, DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Injury, DC Comics References, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Disability, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Jason Todd Deserves Better, Jason Todd Has Issues, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Lazarus Pit, Major Character Injury, Mentioned Bruce Wayne, Mentioned Joker (DCU), Metahuman Reader, Muteness, Original Character(s), Post-Batman: Arkham Knight, Reader-Insert, Resurrected Jason Todd, dark themes, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:54:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25754677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/janaswow/pseuds/janaswow
Summary: In Gotham, kindness is a rarity. Rosalie is a mute flower shop owner just trying to get by when Jason Todd comes crashing into her life (literally)._____Big sad man meets pretty soft girl commence the romance.
Relationships: Arkham Knight (Batman: Arkham)/Original Character(s), Arkham Knight (Batman: Arkham)/Reader, Dick Grayson/Original Female Character(s), Jason Todd/Original Female Character(s), Jason Todd/Reader, Red Hood/Original Female Character(s), Red Hood/Reader
Comments: 27
Kudos: 193





	1. Prologue: The Arkham Knight

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!! This is my first work on here, I'm still fairly new to writing so please don't be afraid to give me feedback! <3

Nurses and patients alike ran through the corridors of one of Gotham’s hospitals, coats and shoes on, the white fluorescent lights flickering. Confused, Rose sat up in her hospital bed. Wincing at the rivets of pain pulsing from her right leg, she pressed the nurse button on her bedside. Fidgeting with her bandaged hands, she looked up when a nurse knocked on the door and entered. “Everything ok miss,” the nurse stops to look at the name on her clipboard, “Rosalie?” Nodding, Rose signs. ‘ _ Is something happening? Why are there so many people running?’ _

Shakily sighing, the nurse purses her lips. “An..incident happened at Pauli’s Diner out on Grand Ave. Scarecrow threatened to release his new strain of fear toxin on Gotham and everyone’s being evacuated.” Wringing her aged hands together, she continues. “We can offer to move you to another hospital in Bludhaven, but it’s gonna be pricey since you don’t have insurance. We’ll be leaving a small group of staff behind to help out as much as they can, but the building will be on lock down. It's your choice, sweetie.” Hands trembling, Rose signed, ‘ _ Stay.’  _ Nodding and whispering good luck, the nurse stepped out into the slowly emptying corridor, putting a note on the door.

A few hours ago, Rose got caught in the crossfire of another fear toxin stunt. The media caught fire of it, but no threat from Scarecrow was made. A burly man who was a victim of the attack broke her leg, and up until now she hasn't been able to feel it. She feared the worst when the doctor said she'd have to probably go through physical therapy to eventually, if even possible, get it fully functioning again. The Scarecrow basically indirectly destroyed her leg, and for what reason, she doesn't even know. Now she has to stay in a practically empty hospital until this whole thing blows over. Refusing to shed a tear, she grabs a pain killer from the bedside medical tray and swallows it, dimming the lights with the small panel near her. Closing her eyes, Rose hopes that luck is on her side tonight and falls asleep, to the smell of sterile sheets and the sound of the heart monitor's beeps. 

___

A crash outside her room startles Rose awake, her breath hitching when she hears a nurse scream and the deep cackles of several men. Her eyes dart around the room, landing on a pair of scissors on the medical tray. Scooting to the edge of the bed, the door slams open and a bulky man wearing ratty clothing snatches her by the hair, her fingers grazing the scissors. “Don’t even think about it,” spits out the man. He drags Rose out of her bed, her silent whimpers being drowned out by his stomps on the hospital’s yellowed tiles. 

Three more men await in the corridor, two grasping a nurse and a janitor, the other one carrying a bag filled to the brim with medical supplies. “Car is waiting out front,” grunts one of the men. Nodding, they start conversing with each other, dragging Rose and the two hospital staff with them. She turns her head to the right and catches the frantic look on the nurse’s face. Her brown eyes are wide open in fear, dark strands of hair coming loose from it’s ponytail. She sees Rose and throws her a strained but albeit smile, tears glistening in her eyes, her name tag reads ‘Theresa Ruiz’, her scrubs a pale blue and her skin a tanned brown.

The janitor is an old and frail man, his graying hair thin and his skin wrinkled. She’s seen him clean the corridors earlier, and he gave her a tired smile before moving to clean another corridor. Now, his face is drained of all color, the wrinkles on his forehead more prominent from stress and worry. She tries to read his name tag but the man dragging him forward is blocking her view. The men walk faster seeing the entrance of the hospital up ahead. She caught the word ‘rioters’ in some of their conversation. Maybe they stayed behind and decided to loot the hospital? Fearing the worst for what awaited them outside, Rose tenses and tries to ignore the burning pain coming from her leg and her scalp. 

Shoving the janitor forward, one of the looters barks at him to open the doors, his aged hands fumbling with the keys and unlocking them. Throwing the double doors open, the men drag them outside, the sky dark and fires raging outside from barrels and the criminals causing an uproar of chaos on the street. Cars are overturned, and ash falls from the sky. 

Tires screeched and a large tank rammed into the beaten-up van of the looters. An odd insignia was plastered on the side of the tank and the looters started yelling in protest at the driver. The top latch opened, and Rose’s eyes widened upon seeing a tall man in a suit that could rival Batman’s. The glare from his visor against the flames on the street made the man dragging her move his arm to shield his eyes, dropping her on the filthy pavement in the process. Letting out a small wheeze, she threw a worried glance to Theresa and the janitor, seeing them shake even more in fear at the sight of the unusual man who jumped down from the tank. 

His boots stomped as he marched towards them, his hands grazing the twin pistols strapped on either side of his thighs. One of the looters ran off, dropping the medical supplies and causing them to scatter onto the road. Stopping, the man tilted his head down, looking at the forlorn supplies. “A hospital? Really?” A shudder ran down Rose’s spine at the sound of his voice being filtered from the voice modulator, an eerie undertone to it. The rest of the looters shared a glance and then ran off into the direction that the first one went. The man noticed the bandages and cast on her leg, her arms shaking as she tried to hold herself up to avoid the filthy pavement. He kneeled in front of her, his hands gently but firmly grasping her by her biceps, lifting her up when she nodded. Rose shifted her weight onto her left leg, wincing when her other leg stung and burned.

The man looked towards Theresa and threw some type of key towards her. “That’s a key to a building nearby. It has the same insignia on that tank plastered on it, so you should be able to spot it. Get there as fast as you can, and whatever you do don’t go outside. Got it?”, said the masked man. Nodding frantically, Theresa pocketed the key and let out a shaky thank you. Rose taps the man’s arm and looks up to where she assumes his eyes are. ‘ _ Why help us? Who are you?’  _ she signs.

“I..I don’t know.” He sounded conflicted, his gloved hands flexing and the strange insignia on his chest catching her eye. “I’m the Arkham Knight.” She’d never heard of his name before, but she signed a quick ‘ _ Thank you.’ _ and hobbled over to the nurse, holding on tightly onto her arm. He nodded, and she gave him a smile, her eyes twinkling brighter than Gotham’s lights. He hopped back into his tank, the tires screeching against the road as he sped off, Rose’s mind filled with a genuine curiosity about the man. Theresa wrapped an arm around her shoulders, the janitor still shaking but picking up a pair of surgical scissors from the pile of supplies scattered on the road, giving the two women a nod and gestured for them to go in front of him. 

The trio walked for a few minutes in search of the building the Arkham Knight mentioned, the janitor, whose name she found out to be Terry, made sure to be on the lookout for any people on the streets that looked interested in hurting them. Theresa would occasionally ask Rose if she was doing alright, keeping her leg in mind as she helped her walk alongside her. Her leg was in excruciating pain, but she pushed it to the back of her head, forcing herself to push forward and reminding herself that she couldn’t afford to be weaker than she already was right now. It could cost her their lives. 

“There! There it is!” shouted Theresa, her finger pointing to a brick building that was a few feet away, the Arkham Knight’s insignia painted on the door in a bright red. Theresa fished out the key from her scrubs’ pockets, and shakily unlocked the heavy door. Right as they were stepping inside, an explosion went off, but this time in the sky. A large, orange and deadly looking cloud started spreading, the screams from people on the streets amplifying in volume. Theresa ran inside, dragging Rose with her, her knees shaking and nearly collapsing. Terry made eye contact with Rose, just when he inhaled the strange orange smoke. Immediately, his eyes blew wide open in fear, his mouth opening and a blood curdling scream coming out. He dropped the scissors and his hands started clawing at his eyes, blunt nails digging into skin and starting to tear. She looked on in terror, and her heart stopped when she saw that she was now breathing in the fumes. Quivering in fear, Theresa grabbed her by the back of her hospital gown and threw her inside, slamming the door shut and locking it quickly before any of the fumes got inside. Rose sat on the floor, looking at her shaking hands, awaiting the same fate as Terry when he got a whiff of the deadly cloud, his screams echoing in her head. But to her astonishment, nothing happened.

Theresa put her hands on her shoulders, inspecting her for any signs that she was hurt. All she could see was the now blank look on Rose’s face. “Are you ok? Did you inhale any of that stuff?” she asked, her face increasingly looking more worried. Raising her trembling hands, Rose signed, ‘ _ Yes but..nothing happened.’ _

Her face settling into a grim but relieved expression, the nurse let out a sigh. Leaning back, she took a seat in front of Rose on the floor, her hands reaching out and holding hers. They huddled closer together for warmth, the screams outside rang in their ears like death, the bitter cold nipping at their skin and the dim moonlight from an airtight window being the only source of light in the dark safe house. Tears ran down Theresa’s face, Rose looking at her hands in fear. 

On the windowsill, a single blood red spider lily bloomed. 


	2. Chapter 1: The Girl with No Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason Todd is tired and ohmygod this girl is so pretty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello <33 as always, please do not hesitate on giving me feedback! And a big thank you for all of the kind comments on the prologue, I'm still learning as I go and there's still some aspects of writing that I struggle with but it keeps me motivated to know there's people who enjoy my writing. :))) Anyways, here's the first chapter!!

**Chapter 1: The Girl with No Voice**

  
  


Jason is hunched over one of Black Mask’s henchmen, his boot nudging the man’s arm. “Well, that’s the last of ‘em.” he mutters. Readjusting his gloves, he turns and makes way to the exit route he picked out. In a flash, a part of the roof caves in, a giant axe being lodged into the wooden floorboards. Artemis lands on her knee with a thud, her hand quickly grasping onto her axe. Jason quickly spins on his heel, hands hovering over his twin pistols. Arms going back to his sides once he sees the familiar red braid and helm of Artemis, he sighs and his shoulders sag forward in exhaustion. “Artemis, to what do I owe the pleasure?” he says, tone tired and sarcastic.

“Watch your tone, boy. I’m only here because Bizarro sent me to check up on you. He’s worried.” Artemis flips her long braid over her shoulder, her axe relaxed in her hand. “Things have gotten...interesting to say the least, here in Gotham,” she trails off, her eyes trained on the red bat symbol on the chest of Jason’s Red Hood getup. It’s been a few months, since the events of the takeover on Gotham City took place. The night Bruce Wayne died, and took Batman and Wayne Manor with him. Things were quiet afterwards. Too quiet. The super villains left took to conducting their work quietly, some as flashy and loud as ever, and others even abandoned it altogether. Jason got a hold of intel on Black Mask’s gang planning an arms deal with Penguin’s gang. His hands have been full lately, the criminals getting more and brave as the months go by. It’s kept him on edge lately, expecting a jump in crime to happen out of nowhere. If it sounds too good to be true, in Gotham, it more than likely is. 

“I’m holding up. Just wanna get out of here. You worried?” teases Jason. He met Artemis and Bizarro around 3 months ago. Surprisingly, they all connected and formed a strong trust and friendship in the month they were a team, called themselves ‘Outlaws.’ Artemis always hated the name, said Jason’s brain was too small to think of anything creative. Scoffing, Artemis rolled her eyes, giving him a small but genuine smile before disappearing through the roof and into the night sky again. “Always hated when she does that,” he grumbled. Launching himself through a window, he whipped out his grappling gun and started his trek home.

_____

Tired, Jason rolled to a stop, landing on his feet and walking to the ledge of the building he was on top of. He was in the outskirts of Miagani, where the less flashy and less expensive buildings were. On the brick wall of the building opposite of him, there was a Batman mural. One half was him in the batsuit, the other Bruce Wayne in his civilian clothes. There were messages of gratitude painted in the background, flowers and candles laid on the sidewalk in front of it. Bruce’s name was both tarnished and loved with the reveal of Batman’s true identity. It’s still hard for Jason to get past it. He can barely keep himself together whenever he sees the bat symbol anywhere, even on his own armor. He’s a mess. A traumatized, troubled and angered mess. And he doesn’t know what to do.

____

When the rain starts pouring, it gets hard for Jason to keep his eyes open. He hates when it seeps through his clothes, his jacket damp and cold. He just wants to be back in his ~~safe house~~ apartment. His boots pound against the rooftop he’s on, raindrops splashing and feeling like ice bullets against the exposed sliver of skin of his wrists. 

Leaping, Jason’s footing slips a little, failing to see the glass skylight ahead of him. Tumbling through with a crash, the glass shatters, shards raining around him and glistening with the dew of the rain. He slams on his back with a muffled grunt of pain, his jacket uncomfortably pressed against his skin. Dazed, he sits up and rubs his upper back, head looking up. He makes eye contact with a young woman, her eyes wide with surprise and a pair of gardening shears in her hands. Snapping out of her surprised trance, she places the shears down on the floor with a soft thud. Her hands started rapidly signing, her brows furrowed and her nose wrinkled in anger. Stunned, Jason watches her hands and fumbles for the words in his head, his tired eyes struggling to keep up with her aggressively fast sign language. ‘ _I hope you’re paying for that or so God help me I’ll-_ ’ eyes widening in surprise behind his helmet at how many curse words a woman who looks so sweet can say in one go, Jason awkwardly coughs into his hand, the sound slightly distorted by his helmet. Frantically waving his hands in front of him to calm the lady down(definitely not in fear), he shakily stands. “This was an accident, doll, I swear I’ll pay for it just listen to me-,” stopping her barrage of insults, she looks at him with an intimidating glare in her eyes and signs ‘ _Do not call me doll.’_

Angrily huffing, she plops down on the bench next to her, arms crossed and nods her head, awaiting an explanation from the mysterious hooded man. Jason rubs the back of his neck, hand reaching up towards his face to nervously itch the bridge of his nose, his fatigue making him forget he still had his helmet on. “I’m jus’ tired, is all. It’s been a rough night and didn’t see where I was goin’. I’ll pay for it.” he grumbles out, surprised his temper hasn’t gotten the best of him and he hasn’t lashed out at her. He looks around, eyes taking in the abundance of flowers and the light peeking out from a room in the back behind the register. His eyes land on the sign on the door with ‘Fleuriste’ on it. A flower shop in Miagani’s outskirts?

Eyes softening, the woman gets up from her bench and scurries off to the room behind the register, Jason’s eyes following her. Grunting, he ignores his muscles screaming at him in protest and bends down to begin cleaning up the mess of broken glass, his head clouded with guilt and his thoughts being consumed with negative ones, about how all he does is mess up, that all he knows what to do is destroy and hurt people. A soft tap on his shoulder makes him snap out of it, head tilting to the side in confusion at the sight of the woman handing him a cup of tea in a mug with flowers messily painted on it. The smell is inviting, calming him down. “You don’t have to give me anything, I-I broke your skylight and upset you and I-” she shoved the mug in his shaking hands, his eyes darting over her face when she signs ‘ _You were tired, it’s ok. Well..not really, but, you need to take care of yourself.’_ Hesitating, Jason mumbles for her to turn around, and she nods, her hands coming to cover her eyes and turning with her back facing him.

About to unlatch his helmet, he snaps out of his tired stupor and stops, remembering that she’s a stranger, he can’t trust her, what if she poisoned it, what if she’s secretly out to get him and is going to hurt him like everyone else has what if she’s dangerous what if-

Suddenly, Jason is back in Arkham, alone with no one but the rats and flies around him to keep him company, the barbed wire wrapped around him digging into his skin, blood everywhere and his body battered and bruised. The branded J on his cheek burns hot against his skin, the terror he feels making the blood in his veins feel like ice. He hears the Joker, he hears the screams of people dying as he goes on a rampage as the Arkham Knight, the TV broadcast of the death of Bruce Wayne and the explosion at Wayne Manor on repeat, like a nonstop mantra. 

He jumps as the woman places her small hand on top of his shaking ones, her hands gently prying the mug from his hands and placing it on the bench. Jason feels guilt, and then a flash of white hot anger, anger at how vulnerable he’s being in front of this woman, who he towers over, who he could knock out with a single half-assed punch. But he doesn’t and he can’t even think of a reason why other than that she’s calming, she’s warm and she’s being kind to him despite his Red Hood getup that screams danger. He hasn’t been shown genuine kindness in so long that it leaves him confused and even more tired than he was before. Her hands sign ‘ _It’s ok.’_ And it's not but for once he pretends it is.

She sits and scoots over on the bench and pats the spot next to her, picking up the mug of tea and sipping it herself, humming. Shoulders hunched over, he begrudgingly plops down on the bench, trying not to put too much weight on the tiny thing, he doesn’t want to break something else. He lets out a tired sigh. “I’m Red Hood.” He can see the confusion in her eyes at the sound of his ‘name.’ She’s probably never heard of him.

_‘I’m Rosalie.’_

Neither of them say anything else, just listening to the slowing stop of the pouring rain, and the distant echo of a police siren, the moon making her face look kind and soft, and he feels something in his heart, and he doesn’t know what it is. The bouquet of daffodils on one of the display stands suddenly looks brighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna give him a hug. But it's ok because Rosie will do it for me. Jason deserves all the love and support in the world.


	3. Chapter 2: And Today We Begin Anew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose's injury is still an obstacle in her life, and Jason's thoughts drag him deeper and deeper every day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Little author’s note here, so I wanted to give a little backstory on Rosie’s muteness! I won’t elaborate too much, since the big reason why is a part of some big plot later on. She suffers from Broca’s aphasia, meaning the part of her brain that is responsible for speech has gone through traumatic injury, which impacts her use of spontaneous speech and motor speech control. She can speak occasionally with a lot of effort, but it’s extremely quiet and very broken speech. She’s been able to improve her reading and writing, but her speech needs a lot of progress, hence why she uses ASL. Also!! Sorry if the name switch-ups are confusing haha, her name is Rosalie Cobert, but her nickname is Rose (Rosie too because she is simply very cute and i love cute nicknames). She is French-American, which is why her shop’s name is in french. :))

Rose pulls her coat tighter around her, the skies dark with rain clouds and the air freezing cold, her breath showing up in white puffs when she breathes. Juggling the handful of flyers bunched up in her hand, she grabs one and rips some pieces of tape from the roll in her bag, sticking the flyer on the barren brick wall of the building in front of the subway stairs. She had stayed up all night coming up with designs, struggling to decide between a minimalist or cute look. She settled for something in between, when she was halfway through another huge mug of coffee and getting close to ripping her hair out in frustration. 

Cursing the wind for the sudden breeze that flutters the flyer’s edges, she slams her hands on it to prevent it from flying away, forgetting about the other flyers in her hand. Frustration building up, she watches as the wind sends them scattering everywhere, flying off like birds taking flight. ‘ _Well there goes some wasted printer ink.’_ She grumbles in her head. She squats down to pick up a flyer that fell in front of her, but her right leg flares up and she slams a hand down on the pavement to stop herself from falling in a puddle from last night’s rain. 

Last night was an odd one, she wasn’t expecting for a strangely dressed man to crash through her skylight, proceed to curse out said man and then invite him to sit with her for an hour until he disappeared when she went to go use the bathroom. She had been tending to a plant that she had forgotten about earlier in the day, deciding to take a break from designing the flyers. She’s still curious about his whereabouts, knowing about how Gotham has a strange affinity for attracting vigilantes and villains. She had to clean up the glass and cover the gaping hole in the ceiling with a tarp in the middle of the rain before calling a repair company. Thankfully, the man who called himself ‘Red Hood’ had left a fairly thick wad of cash on the bench they were sitting on, a hastily scribbled note of thanks attached on it. He doodled a cute little Red Hood on the corner, and immediately her intrigue was fueled. Call her reckless but a part of her hopes to run into him.

She thought about the symbol on his chest. It was a red bat, akin to the one Batman wore on his suit. Maybe they knew each other?

“Hey you alright there, miss?” Jumping at the sound of a voice coming from above her, Rose stands to her feet, her leg burning and tears nearly spilling from her eyes. She teeters a bit, and the man’s hand reaches out and grips her shoulder, steadying her. Biting the inside of her cheek, she gives him a strained but grateful smile. She walks away as fast as she can, her leg burning in pain and her cheeks from shame. _‘He had some really blue eyes.’_ Rose thinks. And then it hits her.

That was _the_ Dick Grayson.

____

Fishing out her keys, Rose unlocks the shop’s front door, flipping the sign to open once she’s inside. Letting the door close, she walks behind the register and towards the room in the back, a slight limp in her step. Switching the lamp in the room on, she sets her bag on her desk and peels off her coat and swaps her boots for some flats.She swipes the bottle of painkillers from off her desk and opens it, swallowing a pill or two. She darts her eyes to the calendar on her desk, seeing that her next physical therapy session for her leg is a few days away, and that she’ll need to see if she can get someone to run shop while she’s away for the day. Her leg has been gradually getting better, but she still has to refrain from putting too much strain on it or it’ll cramp up. Rose hopes that in a few more months she can get it back to normal, even if it's only just slightly. 

Deciding to mull about it later, she grabs a pale green apron and while relishing in the warmth of the shop, she takes her place behind the register, hands folded in front of her eagerly awaiting a customer. Fiddling with her earring, she perks up at the sound of the jingle of the bell on the door. Spotting familiar pale blue scrubs, she pouts, Theresa immediately playfully rolling her eyes at the slouch of her shoulders realizing its just her. “Good morning to you too, Rosie.” She says sarcastically, her ponytail bouncing with her every step. She’s holding two steaming cups of coffee, one with the cup already drank from. Sliding the cup across the shop’s counter and towards Rose, Theresa takes a sip from her coffee, Rose signing a quick thanks and taking a big gulp from the coffee.

Raising a brow, Theresa sneaks a quick peek into Rose’s office, spotting the opened bottle of painkillers. “Your leg causing trouble for you, again?” She asks, eyes set in concern, face soft but her expression grim. Nodding, Rose signs, ‘ _I bent down to pick something up and it flared up. Not as bad as the other ones, but I’m still a little winded.’_ Reaching a hand out, Theresa’s hand grips her best friends’ hand, her thumb rubbing soothing circles on the skin, giving her a smile of reassurance. She looks at the time on the little cat clock she gave to Rose as a present for getting her first therapy session done with, and notices that she has to get going for a 12 hour shift again at the hospital. She’s been getting worked to the bone recently ever since Crane and the Arkham Knight’s attack on Gotham City. But having Rose be there to send her videos of her cat Rue doing something dumb, and see her smile with a shine in her eyes that she gets from working in her little flower shop makes it worth it somehow. Parting ways, Theresa opens the shops’ front door, bumping into a man in a worn out leather jacket, his shoulders hunched and his hands shoved in his pockets. Wearily throwing a look back at Rose, she sees her smile brightly and makes a shooing motion with her hand. Smiling back, Theresa sets off to work. 

Rose watches as the man awkwardly looks at the flowers on display, his eyes darting up to the tarp-covered hole in the ceiling. For a brief second, there’s a flash of guilt on his face, but it’s quickly replaced with a blank look when he locks eyes with her. Her eyes take in the J-shaped scar on his cheek, a few other ones littered across his face. But if anything his most prominent feature is his eyes, a very icy but vivid shade of blue. He has fluffy black hair with a small white streak in the front, and Rose can’t help but blankly stare at him for a few seconds, the first word to come to mind being ‘pretty’. Her face burns crimson when his eyes glare at her, and she realizes she might have come off as rude. She waves him over, his eyes quickly showing his hesitation. She takes a quick sip of her coffee, his steps surprisingly quiet despite him towering over anything and everything, and while wearing some heavy looking boots. He stiffly stops at the counter, his eyes uncomfortably looking anywhere but her. ‘ _Hi! I’m Rose and I’m the shop owner, is there anything you need help with today?’_ She signs. Expecting a look of confusion and for her to whip out her notepad, he clears his throat and speaks, “Uh, no I don’t think..I do? I just um, came to look around, is all.” 

His hand comes up to scratch at the bridge of his nose, a slight flush settling on his cheekbones while Rose smiles and nods in understanding. ‘ _That’s ok! I’ll be here if you need any assistance.’_ Nodding, the man wanders around the shop more, finally stopping in front of some peonies. His hand starts to reach out to grab it, his eyes taking in the flowers. He looks like he’s contemplating whether to get them or not. Ultimately deciding not to, Jason rushes to leave the store, giving a shaky ‘have a nice day’ to the shop’s owner. His ears burn pink, Gotham’s winter air doing nothing to calm down how warm his face and ears feel. He can’t believe he gathered up the idea to check up on Rose and nearly buy her flowers. From her own shop. She doesn’t even know his name, she only knows Red Hood’s. He had sat in his apartment for a good solid hour reflecting on what happened in the flower shop on his way home. He still feels bad for breaking her skylight, and hopes the money was more than enough to fix it. He couldn’t get the image of her sitting next to him on that tiny ass bench, looking up at the rain clouds peeking through the hole where the skylight used to be, her face welcoming and her skin smooth and soft looking in the moonlight. When she went to go use the bathroom, he left before he’d do anything that he’d regret, his emotions and nerves skyrocketing around her. But still, she felt familiar, she felt inviting, and warm. 

Maybe he _is_ crazy, thinking this much about a girl he had only met just a few hours ago when he was on the verge of falling asleep. Only Dick would ponder this much over a girl. Wincing at the thought of Dick, Jason’s pace quickened, his hands balling into fists in his pockets. Dick wouldn’t stop sending letters to every safe house of his, having given up on keeping up with Jason’s phone number every time he changed it. His mind went back to Rose, his thoughts getting more messy when he thought about the danger he’d be putting her in if word got around of the Red Hood being spotted in a mute girl’s flower shop in Miagani. Jason thought about how stupid he was to think he’d have a chance of even a small sliver of normalcy in his catastrophe of a life. As Jason got progressively more lost in his thoughts, he didn’t catch sight of Dick peeking his head around a corner, tracing his eyes back to the French flower shop that Jason stormed out of. Sighing, Dick looks at Jason’s retreating back, as it gets further and further away, not wanting to show up in his life too soon. He misses Jason.

He misses Bruce

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! I'm trying to set up an updating schedule, and for now I've settled on 2 updates a week. One in the beginning and one in the end of each week. I start school soon and am going to go up to the dorms on Saturday so this is probably the last update of this week. As always, hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please do not hesitate to give me feedback. :))


	4. Chapter 3: Conventional Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason can't seem to stay away from Rose and her shop, and this time he doesn't even try to convince himself not to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! Hope you all enjoy this chapter, the plot thickens and we finally see some action.

**Chapter 3: Conventional Meetings**

Jason sat in his apartment, slouched over on the couch with one of his handguns and a rag in hand. Wiping the barrel of the gun, the flashy commercial for a soda line faded to black and the news channels’ logo came on screen. A news anchor sat with her hands folded in front of her, Gotham’s skyline behind her as the background. Wayne tower stood tall and proud, standing out even in the daylight. “Today marks the 7th month since Gotham lost it’s prince, and the dark knight, Bruc-” 

Slamming his finger down on the off button on the remote for the TV, Jason drops his handgun on the floor, burying his face in his hands and letting out a trembling sigh. The moment his name came out of the news anchors’ mouth, he shut the TV off. He was getting better with hearing his name, but day’s like these, his triggers would be more intense than usual. He’s been holed up in his apartment all day, the heater broken and the cold air seeping in, but Jason was used to it. His body has gotten used to enduring harsh conditions, but he still hates the feeling of getting his suit wet. It reminds him too much of nights spent patrolling with  Bruce  Batman. 

Standing from his position on the couch, Jason grabs his boots and his jacket, throwing them on and concealing his weapons wherever he can. He hastily puts on his Red Hood armor, deciding to go on a patrol to blow some steam and get out of the apartment before he breaks something and has to replace it again. Slamming the door shut and bolting the locks, he leaps to the rooftops, watching as the sun sets. In the distance, he sees what looks like a black smoggy figure standing on the top of Wayne tower. Deciding to blame it on him hallucinating, Jason turns and starts his sweep across the city.

_____

Rose sits in the lobby of the hospital’s physical therapy wing. Across the lobby, a little girl sits in a wheelchair. Despite her disability, she has a bright smile on her face, a children’s book in her small hands. Her wheelchair is decorated with bright and glittery stickers, little charms here and there. Rose’s heart warms at the sight of the little girl, her anxiety slightly toning down. She had just finished with another appointment for her leg, and her doctor’s face looked grim when her leg made her collapse halfway through the session. She told her that they would be doing another examination before she left, and that she could go ahead and wait in the lobby. Her heart is pounding, her hands shaking and knees trembling, but Rose tries to remain somewhat hopeful for what the doctors have to tell her.

She fiddles with her bracelet on her wrist, one that Theresa gave her when she went to visit her family in their homeland. A door opened and her doctor came out, clipboard and pen in hand. Rose tried standing up, managing to do it but not without her leg burning in protest. Her doctor hurriedly but gently motioned for her to sit back down, eyes alit with something akin to pity. “So after we ran your exam, we noticed that...your leg muscles in your right leg are deteriorating at a rapid rate. We ran some more scans and you have something called Guillain-Barré syndrome. We can try and give you treatment, but there’s no cure. I’m sorry, sweetie.” 

Rose blankly stared at the papers the doctor handed to her, her ears ringing and her head spinning at the thought of becoming paralyzed. In less than a year she’d be in a wheelchair, the disease having spread to her other leg from what her scans show. Hands shaking, she nods her head in agreement when the doctor offers to call her a cab back home. Being helped into the cab, her doctor tells her to put off using her right leg as much as she can, and gives her a cane. Watching as the buildings turn into a blur, Rose caves and lets the tears she was holding back stream down her face. Her mouth opens in a sob, but no noise comes out.

___

Jason rocks back onto the heels of his boots, deciding to take a short break. The sky is getting dark, and he notices that Rose isn’t in her shop. Instead, there’s a guy with ginger hair and freckled skin at the counter. He’s wearing the same green apron that Rose wears, along with a name tag and he assumes he works there. The lens in his Red Hood helmet helps him catch sight of the door leading to her office being closed. Jason feels like a creep examining the inside of her shop, he has no reason to worry over her. She doesn’t even know his name. 

A cab swerves around the corner, stopping in front of Rose’s shop. The ginger-haired worker boy takes notice of this and runs out front, opening the door and helping a solemn looking Rose out of the cab. He can see her swollen eyes, and the packet of papers and a cane that she holds in her hands. He catches sight of the name tag on the worker boy, reading ‘Luca’. Luca hugs Rose, supporting her weight and holding her as she cries into his apron. He helps hobble her into the shop, sitting her and her cane down on a bench and taking her hands into his. Jason’s chest swims with an annoyed feeling, and he doesn’t know what it is but he doesn’t like how Luca is all over Rose. He reminds himself that she’s allowed to have a partner, that just because he’s aware of her existence doesn’t mean she is of his. He can’t help but want to be the one wiping the tears from her eyes. 

Snapping out of his brooding, he watches as Rose signs ‘Guillain-Barré syndrome’. He feels his heart drop, and Luca’s face goes pale.

Jason watches as Rose weakly smiles, sharing a solemn look with Luca before he nods and shakily helps her up to her feet, handing her her cane and helping her walk. They disappear into her office, and Jason purses his lips inside his helmet, frown deepening once the rain starts pouring. He sees that the skylight has been fixed, and a corner of his mouth quirks up. Spotting a diner nearby, he decides a meal would be nice and makes course, side-eyeing Rose’s shop, concern ebbing it’s way into his mind despite trying to get her out of his thoughts for the past week.

Jason takes his greasy to go bag with two burgers and fries inside and gives the diner’s waitress a tip, making his way out the diner with his meal in hand. He shields it from the rain with his jacket, large frame huddled over it as he walks towards Rose’s shop. The night sky is dark and the rain clouds remain, the asphalt roads slick with rain and reflecting the flickering lights of Miagani’s not-so fancy buildings in the outskirts. Still a pretty good view of Wayne tower though, the building being a prominent sight from nearly anywhere in Gotham. He spots Rose sitting on her bench inside again, hands trimming the thorns from a bouquet of crimson roses, her cane leaned up against the side. He stops in front of the door, ignoring the part of his mind screaming at him to not get her more involved and knocks firmly on the glass. She jumps from where she was sitting, head snapping from her dazed gaze to see him standing outside in the rain. She springs up from her bench and grabs her cane, hobbling over to open the door, ushering him in. She closes the door and flips the shop’s sign to closed, looking up at him and giving him a bright but tired smile. Her eyes are still a bit puffy and his heart skips a beat, and he wonders what’s wrong with him. Maybe he should get that checked out by a doctor.

Rose softly sighs, eyes glancing at the greasy diner bag he’s holding. “I got some burgers and fries from the diner down the street. Was patrolling and thought I’d check up on you and see if you got that skylight fixed.” Jason opens the bag handing her a wrapped burger and her fries. Nodding gratefully, Rose takes the meal and walks over to a small table in front of one of the shop’s windows, leaning her weight onto her cane. She sits down on one of the chairs, trying not to wince from the pain in her leg. Jason however, catches sight of the small wrinkle in her brow, his years of panicking over whether someone would put a bullet between his eyes reminding him to be alert, even if Rose is just a small and sweet flower shop owner. He takes a seat in the chair across from him, uncomfortably trying to not fall off the small thing. Rose smiles, humor in her eyes. “So um, how are things?” Wincing behind his helmet at how awkward he sounds, he watches as Rose signs, ‘ _ I’m doing ok. I want to hear more about you though, what’s it like? Being the Red Hood and all.’  _ Her head tilts slightly, gaze curious, and Jason feels the tips of his ears and the apples of his cheeks flush. 

“It’s..tiring. Not glamorous, y’know..beating( killing ) up bad guys and all that gory stuff.” He’s surprised when Rose doesn’t recoil at the mention of him having to rough people up. He expected her to be disgusted by him, but if anything she looks intrigued. They make idle talk, Rose taking a bite of her burger every now and then, snagging a fry too. Jason feels himself lose the tension in his shoulders and relaxes slightly around her, Rose always feels welcoming and warm. She throws her head back in a silent but breathy laugh, his fingers twitching when he notices a strand of her hair falling out of place. Jason excuses himself, saying he needs to go and Rose nods in understanding, waving him goodbye and sending him one of her blinding smiles. As he leaves, he smiles behind his helmet and his hold on the diner’s bag tightens, a sense of pride at the thought of him feeling comfortable around someone. He pushes away the negative and pessimistic thoughts as much as he can, even if it’s only for a few minutes.

___

It’s the next day, and Rose’s little chat with Red Hood is still on her mind. It made her feel better after receiving the news on her legs, and she tries to focus on the way his voice sounds with the modulator from his helmet. Now that she thinks about it, his voice sounds familiar. She can’t remember from where, though. Rose waves goodbye to a customer who came to buy flowers for his wife. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she sees the skies darkening again. Wiping her hands on her apron, Rose picks up a small basket with her cleaning and gardening tools in it, hobbling over to one of the display stands to start tidying up around shop. Midway into watering a potted bean sprout, the jingle of the bell above the front door alerts Rose of another customer. 

Turning around and smiling, she starts signing her customer greeting, hands freezing to a stop when she sees a group of four burly men waltzing into the store. They all wore suits, their faces covered in black masks and Rose realizes that they’re his henchmen, Black Mask. The leading man fixes his gaze on her, and a snarl leaves his throat as he grabs her by the shoulders. She looks outside, the sky already dark and the chances of someone intervening are even more low now, practically non-existent. She lets out a silent whimper and the henchman shakes her and then throws her on the ground. “So little lady, what’s up with you getting all cozy with the Red Hood, huh? He ever tell ya’ that he took a hit on our boss? Maybe roughing you up a ‘lil will send him a message.” snarls the henchman, the ones standing behind him moving to start trashing the shop, tipping over display stands. He raises his arm and sends a punch flying towards Rose’s face, her head whipping to the side and blood trailing out her nose. 

Just as he was aiming to send another blow to her head, the skylight above shatters and she sees a blur of a crimson tumble through. She hears a gunshot and the henchman who was hovering above her crumbles, his body falling to the side and blood starts pooling around his head. Rose’s ears ring and she sits up, her hands shaking and her nose gushing blood. Red Hood is in a brawl with the henchmen, his body moving fast and his pistols firing. He kicks one of them in the stomach, knee butting into their forehead and pistol immediately putting another bullet in the henchman’s head. Spotting the basket of cleaning supplies, one of the henchmen grabs a pair of shears and runs towards Rose. He stabs the tip into her right thigh just as Red Hood shoots him, his body dropping into dead weight on top of the dead leader. Rose doubles, leg spasming and mouth open in a silent scream. 

Jason sprints over to Rose, eyes wide in panic behind his helmet. He spots a first-aid kit behind the counter and jumps over it, snatching it off the wall and getting back to Rose. He pops open the latches, feeling relief when he sees that it’s one similar to Alfred’s, with the materials needed for stitches. He pushes Rose to lay down on the floor and puts pressure on where the shears are stabbed into her thigh. He fishes through the kit for a roll of bandages, and Rose lets out an annoyed growl through her clenched teeth. She grabs a hold of the shears and rips them out, and Jason yells for her to stop. Her eyes start glowing green, and Jason freezes, watching as the wound on her thigh closes up, the blood staining her pants and the floor being the only evidence she got stabbed in the first place. A small patch of vines grow over where the wound was, seemingly sprouting out of her skin. The both of them snap their heads up, gazes locking and Rose’s broken nose is healed too, a small single vine on the bridge of it. Hands shaking, she stands up to her feet, Jason scrambling to help her up. She feels her leg tingling and she rips the rest of her pant leg open, vines covering and wrapping around her leg. The pain that was there is no longer present, no burning or white hot pain. Her eyes are wide in disbelief, and Jason’s body is tense, eyes scanning the shop, seeing the flowers start flourishing and the plants glowing, vines spreading everywhere. “Care to explain?” Rose looks up at Jason again, her eyes confused and scared. Her hands tremble as she signs ‘ _ I don’t- I have no idea what just happened.’ _

Jason slumps down onto the bench behind him, head hurting at the thought of Rose being a meta. And to think he thought she was a normal human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Rosie :(( At least she's ok now. I think?? We shall see


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason and Rose deal with the aftermath of what seems to be her awakening something in her, and Jason has a revelation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, I was going through a rough patch mentally and took a small break. I'm going to try and update once a week since I have school still and life has been busy lately. Regardless, hope you all enjoy this chapter and have a lovely day. xx

**Chapter 4**

Rose stares at her hands held out in front of her, her legs tucked underneath her on her worn out couch in her apartment. Jason is in the bathroom, making a phone call to someone ‘important’. It’s been an hour since they left her shop, Black Masks’ henchmen tied up and piled up in a random alleyway. Rose looks at Jason as he exits the bathroom, closing the door and his shoulders hunched. His helmet is still on, and Rose is reminded of who is with her in her small apartment. He takes a seat on the couch next to her, his body taking up most of the space. He hunches his shoulders apologetically, and Rose smiles. “So, I’ve got a few questions to ask ‘ya. Is that ok with you?” he asks, his head tilted towards her. She nods and gestures for him to go ahead. 

“Ok, so um, do you have any idea how..that could’ve happened? Any accidents lately?’ He fiddles with his gloves, and Rose catches a glimpse of olive skin, small scars littering his hands and forearms, and what looks like bite marks? ‘ _ No, I don’t.’  _ She signs, furrowing her brows. She remembers her time in the hospital back when the Arkham Knight took control of Gotham, and she signs hastily what happened. His shoulders tense, and his hands ball into fists. He nods, and Rose sees his discomfort at the mention of the Arkham Knight. She gently places a hand on his shoulder, and he jumps in surprise, his hand catching her wrist. Rose yelps in shock, and is tugged forward by his grip. She places a hand on his thigh to catch herself, and feels his muscles tense. She realizes the position they're in and scrambles to get on the other end of the couch, her face burning bright red and signing a quick sorry to Jason, who seems to be frozen in place.

He snaps out of his stupor, and clears his throat, mumbling a sorry that is distorted by his voice modulator. Jason feels conflicted, that the sweet girl who he thought was normal is now a meta, and is buried too deep into his mess now that he's afraid it's too late to get her out of it. Her shop got attacked, and she was going to be beaten to a bloody pulp if he hadn't been there in time. His forehead throbs in what he feels to be an oncoming migraine, and his annoyance raises ten fold, but he reminds himself that this isn't Rose’s fault, she wasn't even aware she could do that until today. He looks at the big window in her living room, the sky dark and the rain pouring again. There's plants on the windowsill, and he gets an idea. “Do you think you could try something with those plants over there?” He asks, tapping Rose lightly on her arm. She nods, and gets up. He notices she isn't using her cane anymore and doesn't scrunch up her face in pain when walking. He remembers finding her on the street when he wrecked havoc on Gotham, her leg in a cast and her face terrified, but her eyes shone with something akin to hope, the fires on the street lighting up her eyes even more.

He walks over to Rose where she stands by the windowsill, and already he sees the plants flourishing. The plants looked healthy before but now they seem to almost be glowing, the little leaves waving in what seems to be a calling motion to Rose. Her hand is hovering near what looks to be a devil's ivy, the plant glowing a pale green, vines growing upwards to wrap around Rose’s wrist. She moves her hand away in surprise, and the vines unfurl, freeing her but she doesn't seem to be harmed. If anything, it looked like the plant was being affectionate. She locks eyes with Jason, and she looks scared and lost. He feels a pang in his chest, knowing she won't be able to live a normal life after this. Roman’s men were already after her, and word has probably already gotten around of her little friendship with the Red Hood. He'd have to pull some favors to keep her shop safe while he figures out what to do. 

A brief thought of Bruce pops into his head, and his chest burns with regret and self hatred. Bruce would know what to do in this situation. His next best bet would be Dick and Barbara. He feels a hand wrap around his wrist, and when he looks at Rose his heart skips a beat. She cups his hand in hers, and a small rose bud grows, glowing and small little green sparks flying. She smiles and her face looks somber, she still looks lost but at the same time hopeful. He smiles back and she can't see it, but the moonlight is hitting her face just right, and he can't bear himself to rip his hand away. Just for tonight, he allows himself to think he deserves this, that he's not a horrible person and that as long as Rose is here he's ok. 

____

Jason wakes up to the smell of coffee and what seems to be waffles, the rich smell stirring him awake. He groans, and his eyes snap open upon seeing he's in Rose’s apartment still, and in what seems to be her room. He remembers getting tired, arguing with her that he would take the couch, but ultimately being forced to take her bed. As small and sweet as she is, she's a force to be reckoned with when angry. He takes in the pale beige covers, little designs of sunflowers stitched on them. There's more clusters of plants on the windowsill, and little pictures of what looks to be her and a cat on the walls. There's some of her and Luca too, and he's reminded to not overstep his boundaries. His helmet is still on, and he sits up, putting his boots and gloves back on. Opening the door, the smell from before manages to seep through the vents in his helmet, his mouth watering at the sweet smell. He walks down the short hallway and into the kitchen, spotting Rose in front of the stove, a frilly apron thrown on top of her over-sized sweater, and donning some fuzzy socks. There's a cat sprawled out on the small kitchen island, the same cat from the pictures in her room. It perks up as he approaches, big green eyes peering up at him curiously, it's black ears twitching. Rose moves to dump some scrambled eggs on two plates, some waffles already stacked. 

He takes a seat on a stool, eyeing the cat who is still staring at him. He reaches a gloved hand out, watching as the cat sniffs his glove, whiskers twitching and his mouth letting out a quiet meow. The black cat nuzzles against his hand and he gives it a little scratch behind its ears. He catches sight of it’s pale purple collar, a small little engraving on the leather reading ‘Rue’. She gives his hand another nuzzle before jumping off the island and sauntering down the hall and into Rose’s room. Jason looks up and watches as Rose sets down a plate of scrambled eggs and chocolate chip waffles topped with ice cream in front of him. His stomach rumbles loudly and his ears burn in embarrassment, Rose smiling at him in amusement. She moves to walk to her room, plate in hand. She quietly closes her door, and after checking the kitchen for any hidden cameras, Jason removes his helmet. He feels a pang of guilt for running Rose off to eat alone in her room, to protect his identity. But he’s not ready to reveal who he is to her yet. He doesn’t want to scare her off, make her more stuck in his mess than she already is. He picks up his fork and digs into the waffles, taking a big bite and his hunger is more than sated by the time he’s done with his plate. 

He wants to think Rose will not look at him any differently when he shows her his face. But he knows better than to have hope in this city. He’s already too attached to her as it is, and he knows it’s already becoming a problem. He can’t have a soft spot for her, he can’t take that risk. The last time he took a risk for someone he cared about it got him tortured for six months and eventually killed, thrown into a pit and turning him into the monster he is today. His mind wanders some more, and he shoves his helmet back on, scribbling a note of thanks and heading out the front door and towards the rooftops. He’s going to have to talk to Dick again, and his head already hurts with the thought of it.

___

Rose sits on a seat on the train, her back already sore from being seated too long. After Red Hood left her apartment, she did research on what happened to her. A Lot of articles popped up about Poison Ivy, one of Gotham’s super villains who had died the same night Batman did. She remembered hearing about her, and how she could control plant life to her will. The vines that had grown over her injuries had withered off, her skin clear of any scars and her legs feeling good as new. Rose was both terrified and relieved at this discovery, relieved that she wasn’t going to paralyzed, and terrified because as far as she’s known, her whole life she’s been human. 

Ultimately, Rose decided to go on a search to find out what happened to her, find out who or what did this to her. She wanted to have Red Hood tag along, possibly help her get some leads or just be there to guide her along. But he left, and the only times she’s seen him so far was yesterday when she was closing shop and thought she saw his helmet somewhere along the rooftops. She tried to not be too hurt about it, she’s not someone special. All she’s been is trouble. 

When Luca came into the shop yesterday, he looked terrified when he saw that Rose was still cleaning up some of the mess from the night before. After calming him down she had to try and come up with an alibi on what had happened, settling on a small robbery that had gotten interrupted by police. He fretted over her, and agreed to ignore what had happened and move on. Today was her day off, and she planned on heading to Arkham Asylum to do more research on Poison Ivy, find out who she was and what she was. The speaker overhead announced that their next stop would be in around 2 minutes, and Rose looked through her bag, making sure she had all that she needed and was ready to make the venture into Arkham. Her hands trembled, but she reminded herself what she was here for. 

___

Jason stood on top of a warehouse in Bludhaven, his arms crossed and his mood sour. It was cold out, and he was going to knock some sense into Dick if he didn’t hurry up. After leaving Rose’s apartment, he texted Dick that they had to talk, and soon. He immediately agreed, his excitement bleeding through his text messages. Jason had left him on read after he had asked about his life and how he was doing, getting ready to go to Bludhaven for a day. He’s worried about Rose, and doesn’t want to overstay his visit in case something happens and the eyes and ears that he set up around her shop don’t pick up on something on time. Today is her day off from what he remembers on the little schedule that was on her shop’s website. She’s safe and sound, at least he hopes. 

He hears a quiet thud behind him, recognizing the light footsteps that belong to Dick. He turns around and meets his gaze, his domino mask blocking out the blue in his eyes but his lips pulled into a big grin that envelops his face. “Long time no see little wing.”

His shoulders tense at the nickname, and Jason brushes it off, his annoyance building and wanting to get this over with before he throws Dick into Bludhaven’s skyline. “So, what’d you need little ol’ me for?” chirped Dick, his lithe form leaping up onto a crate and taking a seat, one leg folded underneath him and the other hanging off the edge of the crate. “There’s a girl in Miagani, a meta. She’s got something similar to Poison Ivy.” Jason says through gritted teeth, trying to calm himself down. He hasn’t had an actual conversation with Dick since his death. He had to dig around for his phone number, and he didn’t trust himself to not snap around him. The guilt is too immense, constantly being reminded of Bruce and what he did to the family those few months ago. Dick never got angry at him for it, the one time they spoke about what to do after Bruce died, he didn’t even raise his voice at him. He never understood why. He deserved to be yelled at, screamed at, hell, shot at even. Barbara tried reaching out, and he didn’t even want to hear a peep out of Tim Drake. He didn’t get why they didn’t hate him for what he did.

Dick’s grin fell, his brows furrowing and his hands tapping his thighs as he thought. “I’m assuming you know her?” He inquired, hand brushing a raven hair strand out of his face. Nodding, Jason says, “Her name’s Rosalie Cobert, she owns a small flower shop out in the outskirts and got attacked about 2 days ago. When I showed up and took all the guys out, that’s when it happened. She got stabbed in her thigh and was gonna lose all the mobility in her legs soon, but then her eyes started glowing and her leg was healed, just like that. Not even a scratch was left on her, Dick. Next thing I know, the whole shop is overrun in vines and they’re calling out to her, like how Ivy used to.” Jason can’t deny the resemblance Rose’s abilities have to the deceased super villain, and soon he’s probably going to have to get his hands dirty to find out what happened to her, and why. The guilt he feels increases tenfold, and he can’t help but wish that he hadn’t dragged her into this. That she had stayed normal, so that she’d be safe and he wouldn’t be worrying over her. Dick notices his mood swing, and hops off the crate. He approaches Jason, and reaches out to set a hand on his shoulder. He pulls away with what looks like hurt on his face when Jason flinches, his hand going back to his side. “You care about her, don’t you?” He asks, tone quiet and sympathetic. Jason looks out towards where he can see Gotham’s city lights out in the distance and whispers, “I’m not sure.”

Dick nods, and the rest of the time that they discuss what to do, Jason ponders about what he asked him in the back of his head. Deep down he knows the answer to his question, but he doesn’t want to admit it. He’s starting to care about Rose more than he should, and it’s dangerous. For the both of them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel bad for making Jason beat himself up so much in this story but he'll get some love soon don't worry


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose does some digging and finds what she's been looking for, but it seems she found more than what she was anticipating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait, I finally got around to writing a new chapter, so hopefully it isn't too sloppy. Have some Rosie and Jason fluff.

**Chapter 5**

The cold Gotham air bit and nipped at Rose’s face, her teeth chattering and her scarf not doing much to provide her warmth. Walking up Arkham’s stone steps, the gates slammed shut with a loud bang, the gatekeeper grumbling about reporters under his breath. Rose kept her visitor’s ID in hand, her cover being that she’s a reporter and just doing some light research.

Luca helped her get it through some sketchy guy on Craigslist without even questioning why she wanted to get into Arkham Asylum, and Rose hesitantly agreed. She worried for him sometimes, even if he was just a year younger than her she was still a bit protective over him. He could be a bit too adventurous sometimes, but at least he still came to work on time. 

Making her way through the big front doors and security, Rose was led to the grand library by a security guard, his face bored while he twirled a set of keys on his finger. 

The halls were dim but the parts that were lit were from flickering fluorescent lights, the interior dull and lacking in color. The windows were barred from the outside, and marks that weren’t so well hidden could be seen on the floors. Rose thought about the multiple escapes that took place in the asylum, especially the Joker’s big flamboyant ones, the Batman often getting involved. 

The guard pushed open the library’s double doors, giving a lazy nod to Rose and walking back into the hallway, going back to his post. Looking up at the multiple rows of books, bits of sunlight weakly peaked in through the windows that were up high near the ceiling.

It was empty save for the clerk sat behind her computer at her desk, a nail file in hand sharpening her short nails. Making her way to the back, Rose looked around before taking a glance at the door that read ‘PATIENT FILES.’ 

Looking over her shoulder at the now faraway clerk who was now typing away on her phone, Rose pulled out a bobby pin that was pinning her hair in place, her hair coming loose. Bending it, she inserted it into the door's lock, her hands easily pick locking the door open. Sliding the bent bobby pin into her coat’s pocket, she started pushing on the door lightly with the tip of her shoe, making sure it didn’t creak before opening it enough to slide in. 

The lights in the room were off, the air stuffy and layers of dust covering the sole desk in the corner. A closed door was in the back, and looking in through the blinds from the door’s window Rose saw a security guard dozing off in his chair. Making haste, she walked up and down the rows of files, stopping at the i’s and looking for Poison Ivy’s birth name. She paid no mind to the big bulky box that was marked ‘JOKER’ with yellow caution tape wrapped around it. 

Pulling out a manilla folder, Rose crouched down and leaned against the shelf holding the hundreds of files. Opening it, Rose was greeted with multiple pictures of Poison Ivy, some of her giving a flirty smile and others with her face twisted into an angry scowl. Her bright red hair and green skin made her stand out, her beauty otherworldly. ‘Pamela Isley’ was printed in black at the top of her file, her basic information printed out. A picture of her French passport was attached on a paperclip near where she was born, a small note with ‘Calais’ scribbled on it. The city was popular for being a port city, her own hometown being a bit far. With a heavy feeling in her stomach, Rose continued with reading Ivy’s file.

There were multiple reports from the doctors, most mentioning her god-like complex and how she referred to herself as a godsend from Mother Nature, many calling her delusional and psychotic. She seemed to have a pattern of seducing the guards and busting her way out, scribbles of ‘Harley Quinn’ next to the escape reports. Her past other than her family and origins didn’t seem to be mentioned much. It was almost like Pamela Isley didn’t exist, only Poison Ivy. Her old life as a botanist seemed to be overlooked. 

Readjusting her grip on the file, a stray paper fell out from what looked to be a hidden pocket in the folder, landing at Rose’s feet. Shuffling over, the sound of a door unlocking made Rose freeze. Gingerly sweeping the paper off the floor, Rose shoved the manila file folder into her coat, quickly moving to press herself against the shelves. Steadying her breath, Rose listened to her heart pound in her ears, afraid that whoever was in the room with her could hear it too.

Peering around the shelve, she saw the door that led to the sleeping guard’s office was wide open, the guard in question whistling and shining his way to the exit with his flashlight. 

She watched with bated breath as he noticed that the door was slightly open. He looked over his shoulder around the dark room and shined the flashlight around, his eyes following and looking for anything out of place. He huffed and mumbled “Lock must’ve busted again”, switching the flashlight off and leaving the room, closing the door behind him with a click. Rose sighed in relief, her hands shaky from almost getting caught. 

Scolding herself for being reckless, she quickly and quietly exited the room, making her way around the bookshelves and back to the library’s entrance. She saw the security guard from before chatting with the clerk, his body leaning against the desk and his flashlight back in his belt. 

She looked away and silently exited the library, her heart in her throat and her stomach heavy with a feeling that she can only describe as an impending doom, the paper that was hidden in the file burning it’s way into her mind. Reminding herself to call Theresa when she gets home and to give Rue a bath, Rose heads out of Arkham Asylum, with more questions unanswered about Pamela Isley.

______

Jason sat outside Fleuriste, the metal bench cold against his jean clad legs and a cup of coffee in his hands. He barely felt the cold, it was bearable when it wasn’t raining and soaking through his clothes. He watched from underneath his hood as people walked by, most ignoring his brooding form on the bench in front of the shop. 

A woman with a bright orange scarf wrapped around her head looked inside the flower shop, her body being tugged forward by her son’s tight grip on her hand. Walking towards the store, she looked towards Jason and her eyes widened, and fear flashed across her face as he unknowingly glared at her, her and her son scurrying away from the flower shop and towards a toy shop across the street. Jason lowered his eyes to the ground, the J shaped branding scar on his cheek burning against his skin. 

It was busier than usual in this part of Miagani, the approaching holiday season making Gotham’s citizens shop at the smaller businesses here in the outskirts, hoping to get away from the stuffy packed air in Central Miagani, where shops were packed to the brim. There was a pier that was about a 20 minute walk away, the air breezy and more humid as a result, a far cry from the dry and polluted air in the rest of Miagani. 

Jason hated being out during the day, always getting stared at by people and never knowing how to react other than to glare and shove his hood over his head. The scars on his face and hands itched and burned, and Jason didn’t know if it was the cold or his insecurities amplifying everything again. 

His ears picked up on the sound of a speeding taxi, the bright yellow cab stopping a few feet away and Rose popping out, giving the driver a tight smile that didn’t reach her eyes. She closed the door and it sped off, Rose jumping away from surprise and promptly frowning. She huffed and made her way into her shop, giving Jason a small smile and a wave. His ears burned pink when she caught him staring, and he looked away quickly after giving her a tiny nod. 

The bells attached to the door chimed and Jason sipped at his coffee, going back to watching people walk by and keeping a look out for anyone suspicious. Usually he’d look out from the rooftops, but Jason pushed himself to get out on the streets, telling himself that he’d gain some experience from going one-on-one; in the back of his head though, he knew he was doing it to hopefully get a glance of Rose, and see with his bare eyes that she was safe. 

Looking over his shoulder and into the shop’s window, he saw Rose talking to Luca, the ginger haired boy smiling and nodding as he rings up an old man’s order. She signs to the old man to have a good day and she scurries off to her office in the back, the door closing and the blinds shut. Jason looks back onto the street, spotting a familiar car down the road. He sees Dick through the windshield, also keeping an eye out. 

Subtly pressing a finger to the comms earpiece, he mumbles that he’s gonna go get some stuff done, and Dick responds with a “Later Jay, I’ll keep an eye out as promised.” Jason gets up from his seat on the bench and walks away into an alley, scaling the wall and back to his comfort on the rooftops. He catches sight of vines growing on the sides of the building of Rose’s flower shop, and his mouth frowns as he remembers Ivy doing the same. 

______

Rose was slumped in her desk chair, hunched over Ivy’s file that she took from Arkham. Luca had closed shop around two hours ago, and she was trying to dig up as much information as she could, linking reports together and pieces from articles on her eco-attacks. Rubbing at her tired eyes, Rose’s eyes widened when she saw the time on the clock on her wall, having lost track of the time and completely forgetting about her plans along with it. 

Gathering up the papers scattered all over her desk, she put it in the file and slid it into her bag, putting on her coat and grabbing her keys. She made sure her knife was on her and in reach before she made her way out the door and bolted the locks, quickly and quietly walking to her apartment. She was a good two minutes away when she heard a thud behind her, not sparing another second before she whipped out her knife and held it up to the person’s throat. 

A bright red helmet stared back at her in surprise, both pairs of eyes looking down at the hand that was wrapped around Rose’s that was holding the knife, vines wrapping around Jason’s arm and holding him in place. Rose let out a silent yelp, dropping her knife and her hand instinctively coming up to cover her mouth, only that she forgot that his hand was still stuck to her hers from the strong vines and she surprisingly tugged him forward with ease. Jason stumbled with a grunt, wondering how the hell Rose could throw him around with such little effort, knowing he was hard to even nudge unless said person was crazy strong. Artemis was one of the few people that he knew that didn’t look like a mutant and could drag him like a ragdoll. 

Rose waited for Jason to pull himself up, pointing curiously at their conjoined hands. He reached down and grabbed the knife that she dropped and tried cutting through the vines, however they didn’t budge. They were strong and their grip only tightened, causing Rose to freak out. Bowing her head repeatedly in apology, Jason awkwardly patted her on the shoulder, mumbling that it was ok. 

Gesturing with her head towards her apartment building in the distance, she watched his helmet nod before walking forward, both of their faces flushing pink from the vines holding their hands together. Jason thanked his leather gloves from hiding his sweaty hands that would’ve no doubt made her turn away in disgust. 

“So uh, how was your day?”

Jason mentally kicked himself for asking such a stupid question and watched as Rose tried her best to sign with one hand, finding it cute how she scrunched her nose up in frustration. ‘ _ Very eventful, actually.’ _

Head tilting, he motioned for her to go on, and she held a finger up, her one hand going into her coat’s pockets to fish out her keys and unlock her front door. They awkwardly shuffled in, Rose tiredly sighing at finally being home. They sat down on the couch after closing the front door, Rose still trying to figure out how to get the vines to let go. Jason perked up after an idea came to mind, remembering how Ivy would talk to her plants, “Maybe try telling it what to do?”

Rose deadpanned and pointed to her throat, reminding him that she couldn’t speak. Jason stuttered and fumbled with his words, the helmet’s voice modulator making it sound weird and she smiled in amusement. “Sorry uh, you could try it in your head?”

Nodding, Rose formed the words ‘ _ let go’ _ in her head, and surprisingly, the vines unwrapped from their hands. It worked. Rose grinned proudly, and Jason’s breath caught in his throat when she beamed at him. They both stared at each other for a few seconds before he cleared his throat. Rose remembered their conversation from their way here, and she pulled out the file from her bag and placed it on the coffee table. 

Opening it with a gloved hand, Jason was met with Poison Ivy’s picture and what looked to be her ID that read ‘Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley’, a picture of her without her green skin or meta appearance. It said she was a botanist at a university in Seattle, and Jason knew what it meant.

Rose found Poison Ivy’s legitimate origin. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooo is this romance that I smell?


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohmygosh sorry about the long wait haha, I've been struggling with online school and it just sucked the motivation out of me. I finally got around to writing again so sorry if it looks rushed. On another note, happy holidays! Be safe and hope you all have a good one :))
> 
> I've been playing Cyberpunk 2077 nonstop since it came out. I have developed a deep obsession for Takemura. He is very pretty, might write something for him, who knows. Anyways, hope you all enjoy this long overdue update! Lots of flustered Rose and jealous Jason.

**Chapter 6**

Jason toyed with the frayed ends of his leather jacket while Rose sat next to him on the couch, her laptop’s screen displaying tonight's’ available flights to Seattle. Rue was sitting next to Jason’s boots, her eyes blinking lazily. Ivy’s file sat on the coffee table in front of them, her ID’s picture of pre-meta Ivy on the small plastic card. Rose’s nimble hands moved fast, her eyes scanning the text on the screen as fast as she could.

“What about your shop?” Jason reminded Rose, her fingers freezing their movement and her eyes widening. Hastily shoving the laptop into Jason’s lap, she pulled out her phone from her coat and texted Luka. 

Pulling his eyes back to the laptop screen, Jason looked at the flight prices and winced, noticing in his peripheral that Rose’s wallet was out on the coffee table. Grabbing it, Jason slid it back into her purse and gently hovered his hand over her bicep. Meeting her curious gaze as her eyes looked up from her phone screen (a picture of Luka was in the chat of him holding a bag of cat treats, his blunt text reading ‘give me ur cat’), Jason said, “I’ll be back in a minute, stay put, ok?”

Nodding, Rose gave him a quick smile and then went back to typing on her phone screen. 

Slipping out through a window in the living room and being mindful of the plants growing around Rose’s apartment, Jason leaped to the rooftops. The sun setting and with it the air turning bitterly cold, he pulled out his phone and dialed Dick’s phone number. Tapping his foot as he listened to the first ring go by, Dick picked up on the second ring, his cheery voice making Jason wince as it crackled through his beaten up phone’s speakers.

“Hey Jay!”

“I need another favor.”

“Oh?” Chimed Dick, his tone already teasing and mischievous. Jason gnawed on the inside of his cheek, his mind already telling him this was a bad idea. “Do you think you could give me and Rose a flight to Seattle?” Jason questioned, his hands already itching with nerves. “ ‘Course Jay, what for though?” asked Dick, his questioning expected but still catching Jason off guard. “Uh, Rose found Ivy’s Arkham records, and with that where she came from: Seattle. We were gonna go and do some digging around, see what else we could find.”

“Mind if I tag along?” 

Jason’s grip tightened on his phone, his anxiety turning into irritation. “Just this once, Jaybird. Just wanna meet the little lady who’s been having you run around the city, let it be a favor for all the ones I’ve been giving you lately.. That okay with you?” Dick quickly added, his tone soft towards the end, the usual teasing tone gone. Huffing, Jason whispered a faint “Yeah.” 

“Great! I’ll be there in 30, we’ll be going in one of Bruce’s jets. I’ll get Barbs to arrange it.”

Jason grunted an ‘ok’, his anxiety returning at the mention of Bruce’s name. “Just texted Barbs, she said she’ll have your flight ready in a few. Uh, hey Jason?” 

“Yeah?”

“Barbara says don’t be a stranger.”

Jason quickly presses the hang up button on his phone screen, Dick’s contact picture of him goofily smiling in his Nightwing suit with a younger Jason in his Robin suit chasing him staring back at him.

________

Rose watched Jason slip back into the apartment with a duffel bag in hand, and she caught a glint of metal peeking out from the top before he hurriedly zipped it closed. “ _ Luka is on his way, he’s going to pick up Rue while we decide on which flight to book. _ ” Rose signed, Rue already in her cat carrier, the black cat’s green eyes blinking lazily. Scratching the back of his neck sheepishly, Jason spoke up, “Um yeah about the flight..” 

Rose tilted her head curiously, hands motioning for him to go on. “I called in a favor with a friend, don’t gotta worry about covering the flight or hotel.” Rose shot up in surprise, her hands frantically signing ‘ _ Thank you _ ’ and ‘ _ Are you sure _ ?’.

He laughed, his hands coming up to gently push hers down, her protests dying down. “Yeah, I’m sure. Don’t worry about it, just focus on planning what we do when we get there.” He said, his ears burning when he realized he was still holding her hands in his. He slipped them out of hers, shoving them into his pockets and awkwardly clearing his throat. Rose’s cheeks were dusted pink, her eyes glazed over. 

A knock sounded on the door, Rue perking up at the sound and her tail swishing back and forth. Rushing towards the door, Rose opened it. Luka grinned, his nose and cheeks red from the winter air. Rose ushered him in while Jason stood stiff and frozen in the corner, desperately hoping to not be seen. Luka sat down on one of the couches in the living room while Rose rushed to make him a warm cup of tea to warm him up. Rose glanced at Jason in the corner and panicked internally when she realized that in her dazed run to the door she forgot to hide Jason, his Red Hood helmet and the very prominent logo on his armor screaming vigilante. 

Panic increasing tenfold at the sight of his duffel bag full of weapons sitting beside the front door, Rose let Rue out of her carrier to play with Luka, hoping it’d keep him distracted from looking across the room and at the corner Jason stood at. “C’mere you little gremlin,” Luka cooed, the black cat leaping into his lap and nuzzling his hands. “I take it you’re gonna wanna keep the shop open while you’re gone?” Luka said, Rose nodded and started talking about the shop’s schedule for the next few days while she headed off to Seattle, handing Luka his steaming cup of tea she had made. 

Jason jumped at the opportunity to hide while Luka was distracted by Rue and Rose, his years of stealth training kicking in as he crouched and moved quietly behind the kitchen’s island. His keen ears stayed alert, picking up on the conversation between Luka and Rose. Realizing he wouldn’t be able to hear Rose, he peeked out from behind the island and looked into the living room. Rose was on the topic of keeping the shop tightly locked up after closing, her nimble hands signing while Luka paid attention, Rue now napping away in his lap.

Jason’s phone buzzed from his pocket, notifying him of Dick’s soon to be arrival. 

“Be there in 5. Can’t wait 2 meet Rosie!!!! :DD”

Rolling his eyes, he made eye contact with Rose and motioned for her to hurry up. She grabbed Rue from Luka’s lap, lovingly kissing the top of her head and putting her back in her cozy cat carrier. Luka picked it up and looked over Rue’s eating schedule while Rose went outside to hail a cab. Signing her goodbyes, she hugged Luka before the cab drove off. Running back inside, Rose hurriedly grabbed a bag and filled it with clothes and necessities. Throwing on a warm turtleneck and some thick jeans, Rose walked back to the living room. She laced her boots up as Jason shouldered all the bags.

Sliding her laptop into her carrier bag along with Ivy’s file, Rose put her coat and gloves on and made her way outside with Jason. A sleek black car waited outside, the windows tinted and Rose nearly had a heart attack when she saw Gotham’s golden boy, Dick Grayson, leaning on it with his hands in his pockets. Glancing over her shoulder and at Jason, she watched as his shoulders tensed. 

Securing the locks on the door while Jason put the bags in the trunk, Rose took one last look at her apartment before walking down the stairs and to the car. Losing her balance when she misstepped, Rose yelped when she started slipping. Dick rushed forward, his hands balancing her. Looking up into his (very) blue eyes, her cheeks burned when she saw him grinning, his smile growing when he caught her blushing.

Ushering her into the car, Dick held the door open for her and closed it once she was in the backseat. Jason was already seated beside her, his annoyance coming off him in waves. He tried his best to not look at Dick holding Rose, his chest burning with an ugly feeling of jealousy when he saw the blush on her face. Dick slid into the driver’s seat, quickly driving off to Gotham’s airport. 

“Your name’s Rose, right doll?” Dick said, Jason’s eye twitching at the nickname. Flustered, Rose nodded, a shy smile on her face. “Nice to meet you! The name’s Richard Grayson but you can just call me Dick,” he said, his smile bright as he switched lanes and weaved past cars. Jason discreetly kicked Dick’s seat, the latter grinning. Rose looked at Wayne tower as they sped through Miagani and to the Diamond district. The stores got less cramped and bigger, more expensive. 

Wayne Manor was no longer visible from the Diamond district, what once stood tall and proud now reduced to ash and rubble, a graffitied bat symbol being seen every now and then on the walls of buildings. As they got near the airport, the amount of skyscrapers lessened and Gotham river’s waters glistened. The waters were dark and murky, freight boats floating atop the river. 

Gotham City airport grew into Rose’s line of sight, and the sound of cabs honking and the bustle of people walking in and out of the terminal grew louder. Dick drove past the traffic and hoards of people, guiding the car to a more private entrance. Handing his ID to the guards posted at the gate, Dick checked the time on the car’s dashboard.

The guard handed his ID back to him and Dick slid it into his wallet, driving past the gate and onto the runway. Rose’s eyes widened as a private jet came into view, the Wayne Enterprises logo slapped onto its side. Jason’s leg bounced nervously when he caught sight of it, guilt already crawling it’s way into his conscious. Parking the car, Dick got out of the car and unlocked the trunk. Shoving his hood over his head to cover his helmet, Jason slid out from the backseat and jogged over to open Rose’s door before Dick could. Dick huffed, moving to the trunk and grabbing some of the bags. Giving a flight attendant the keys to the car, he made his way into the jet and set the bags at one of the tables. 

Rose looked in awe at the jet, the hum of it making it hard to hear and the wind picking up around it. Jason put a hand on the small of her back, gently pushing her along and into the jet as the flight attendant drove off with the car. Jason hunched his shoulders and head down as he tried to not hit the jet’s doorway. Rose stiffly sat at one of the tables, trying her best not to get dirt or cathair onto the leather seats. Dick laughed at the sight, motioning to her that it was alright. Getting up out of his seat, he made his way into the cockpit to talk to the pilots. A stewardess saw Jason’s Red Hood helmet and stood alarmed at the entrance, her eyes wide in fear. Dick caught sight of her and took out a money clip, sliding it into her pocket. He winked and held a finger up to his lips in a hushing motion. 

Rolling his eyes at the scene, Jason sat across from Rose, her awed expression still on her face. “Thirsty? Hungry?” He asked, and she shook her head no. “I know all of this can get pretty overwhelming, sorry about that. You sure about this?” 

  
Nodding, Rose smiled at Jason, signing a soft ‘ _ Thank you _ ’. Jason blushed from under his helmet, his eyes darting elsewhere. Dick’s laugh could be heard from the cockpit and Jason tried his best to not overthink everything. Looking out the window and onto the runway, the windows had a thin layer of frost on the glass. Getting more comfortable in his seat, Jason crossed his arms and kicked back, preparing for the flight and having to deal with Dick’s poking and prodding along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dick is a flirt as always. Jason feels hella guilty using Bruce's stuff. Rose is in a whole other world of rich and doesn't know how to act. Luka loves cats. More Theresa coming up soon. Happy Holidays!


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason, Dick, and Rose land in Seattle, and already things are getting eventful. While Rose gets a step closer to Jason's identity, the trio get settled and prepared for what's to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with another chapter! I actually had a New Year's Special drafted for this work in my docs, which involved Rose and Jason getting cozy and dressing Rue up in a cute costume. But I am an entire month late so sorry about that, if you all want it tho I can still post it, just let me know in the comments. As always, hope you enjoy and have a nice/day evening!

**CHAPTER 7**

The heater of the jet hummed alongside the engine, the windows frosted from the outside but the air within warm. Rose was asleep, her back still ramrod straight and her head lolling to the side in an awkward angle. Her breathing was silent, the sound of it masked by the engine of the plane. Jason moved his eyes away from her face, she looked calm and relaxed in her sleep, different from how she was earlier; stressed and overwhelmed. 

They had done everything in a rush, from the planning to leaving Gotham faster than she could process. But they had to find out why she was who she is now, why she had the powers she does now.

If they didn't figure out how to control it, the target already on her back would get bigger and she'd be hunted for sport. He couldn't let that happen to her.

Turning his head away, he drummed his fingers against his thighs. The gun holsters that sat on his hips were vacant, and the knives that were usually strapped on his thighs were not on him either. They were in the duffel bag that sat in the empty chair next to him, and the stewardess seemed to avoid coming near his and Rose’s table entirely, her eyes pointedly looking at anywhere but him. She had shut herself in the cockpit with the pilots after Dick slipped her the money, and hasn't uttered a single word.

A throat cleared, and Jason snapped his eyes towards Dick, his blue eyes twinkling with mischief. “Well she sure is pretty, never thought you'd be for the soft type.” He teased, his blue eyes flashing towards where Rose slept for a second, his lips pulled up in a smile. Jason clenched his hands into annoyed fists and grunted. 

Crossing his arms, he sat back and unbeknownst to Dick, his face was burning scarlet underneath his helmet, but he felt that the teasing man already knew by the grin on his face.

“Leave her out of whatever you're planning.” Jason cautioned. Dick mockingly lifted his hands up in surrender, a playful pout on his face. “Jeez Red, I was joking. Anyways, you got a place to stay when we land?” He pointed out. Jason nodded, and he moved to open the laptop that sat on the table between him and Rose. 

The listing for their motel was pulled up, the website looked up to date but the listing for the motel itself looked outdated and shady. Dick took a deep look at it and whistled, his eyebrows raised. “Sure looks very trustworthy.”

“Beggars can't be choosers, ‘sides rolling up to some high end hotel with this helmet on and the local PD will be on my ass before I can even put my hands up. This is for our safety.” Jason countered. He hated seedy motels, but it was the best shot they had at not leaving a trace of them behind. Dick nodded in understanding, his face looking outside the Jet’s window in thought. There was a ding over the speaker, and an AI’s voice sounded out “Landing time estimated in four hours and fifteen minutes.”

Dick got up from his seat, and made his way towards the mini bar in the corner. The clinking of glass was heard for a minute before he turned around, a drink in each hand. He moved his arm out towards Jason, silently offering him the drink. Jason motioned his head towards Rose, his posture reading ‘Are you serious right now?’

“I'm not gonna look Jay, we can switch seats if you want.” Dick offered, and Jason looked at the glass again. It looked like whiskey, and after a few seconds of contemplating he begrudgingly agreed, quietly moving to shuffle into Dick’s seat over. 

He rotated the seat towards the window, and made sure his back was to Dick and Rose. Pressing a helmet on the back of his helmet, there was a quiet hiss but in the silence of the jet it was as if it was louder than the jet’s engine itself. He lifted it to perch it on his nose, the only part of his face visible being the lower half of his face. Sipping at his drink, he looked out the window and to the clouds in thought, going over the plan again in his head.

Dick forcefully kept his eyes away from Jason, sipping at his own glass and counting the amount of threads on his jeans and studying the wallpaper on his phone, a picture of him and the family. His eyes slipped for a second, and he sneaked a quick second glance at Jason instinctively. His eyes landed on the window, and the frosted glass offered him his reflection. 

Jason’s skin was pale, his jaw sharp and the lower half of his face clear of any stubble. There were small scars scattered, one on his lip, one on his slightly crooked nose. But the scar of a branded J on his cheek made Dick’s mind stop. His heart dropped into his stomach, and he quickly looked away, feeling ashamed. His heart hurt for Jason, and he wished he could take his pain away, to have his little brother back. He sipped more needlingly at his glass of whiskey, and he looked at Rose. He studied her serene face one last time before kicking his legs back and turning the TV on, a cheesy crime show on.

_____ 

_ The air was cold, nothing in sight other than the pitch black darkness surrounding Rose. There was a lack of a sky, but nonetheless a bitter wind nipped at her skin, goosebumps rising along her arms. Her lips were dry and chapped, and her skin had a green tint to it. Pushing herself up onto her legs, Rose noticed that the clothes she wore were torn and frayed at the ends.  _

_ It reminded her of her childhood in France, one spent in poverty and ruin. The slip she wore didn't provide much protection from the wind and the freezing air, her teeth starting to chatter and her breaths starting to form white clouds. _

_ As soon as she was on her feet, her soles started to burn from the cold, and her veins started to turn purple, frostbite starting to form rapidly. She stumbled forward, a thin layer of frost already coating her skin and hair. Just as she was about to lose her footing, familiar gloved hands catched her by her shoulders.  _

_ She trailed her gaze from his hands to his face, the usual red helmet he wore gone. Instead, she could make out the shape of a head, no features present, his face being clouded by a dark shadow. The only thing visible were his eyes. _

_ They were an icy blue, the color of blue hydrangeas. They stared right back at her, pupils dilated and Rose felt warm again, the frostbite disappearing and vines growing in its place. Daffodils and roses bloomed around their feet, some sprouting on Rose’s arms out of her green skin. Jason wrapped his arms around Rose, and she let him.  _

_ She placed her head under his head next to his neck, relishing in his warmth. He smelled like old leather and what drives on the coast of France felt like; he felt like home.  _

_ Rose pulled away slowly, lifting her hands and cradling his face. Roses bloomed at her fingertips again, and she looked into his eyes. His skin turned cold, the freezing feeling back again in her feet and body. His eyes glowed green now, the blue gone. He smelled different now; he smelled like death. The once red roses now wilted when it touched him, the black from the shadow covering his face seeping into the red.  _

_ Rose stumbled back, his arms now at his side and his green eyes full of anger and sorrow. She felt her body fall back when her ankle hit something behind her, tripping her. She grunted as she collided with something cold and hard. Her hands felt slick, and she looked down at her slip, both now covered in blood.  _

_ Looking to her right, she saw the corpse of a boy, wearing a red and green uniform. She recognized the yellow R that was embedded above his heart, and the domino mask held in his hand. His face was bloody, his corpse littered in cuts and countless more injuries. His eyes were open, his face scrunched in an expression of pain with dried tears in his eyes. His eyes were the same color of Red Hood’s, before they turned green.  _

_ A maniacal cackle resounded next to Rose’s ear, and she tried moving, but couldn't. Vines sprouted from the dark abyss that was the ground, wrapping around her arms and holding her in place, forcing her to listen to the laughter and taunts of what she recognized as the Joker’s from the news broadcasts. She tried screaming, forgetting about her muteness for a second, but instead of a quiet scream she shouted the name Jason. The last thing she saw before she awoke were his green eyes again. _

  
  


The sound of hushed whispers rang in Rose’s ears, her eyes opening groggily. Her hands trembled, her head pounding and the enraged green eyes of the Red Hood burned into her brain. Her neck felt sore and strained, muscles screaming from the awkward position she had been in. She wasn't tired anymore, whether it be from the nap or the fear she felt shocking her awake.

She dragged her eyes to the other table, and Dick and Jason were chatting, the latter looking annoyed and riled up. Dick had a grin on his face and was talking animatedly, but both were trying their best to keep their voices down. Rose was still confused as to how the both of them knew each other, one of them being the “Golden Boy” of Gotham, and the other a feared vigilante. She saw his eyes in the dream, the blue being the most beautiful shade she had ever seen. Soon she'd get answers, but until then she'd just have to go with the flow. 

Hearing the shuffling of her clothes against the leather seats, Jason stopped his bickering and looked at her, the dark eyes on his helmet staring holes into her skin. “Looks like the little Miss is awake, how was your beauty sleep?” Dick said, and Jason’s head snapped to him, the annoyed look returning to his posture. “ _ Good, thank you. How long until we land?” _ She lied, one hand coming up to rub the sleep out of her eye. 

“Any minute now, so fasten your seatbelt.” Jason butted in, his voice now slightly soft as he spoke to Rose. She nodded and moved to buckle in, the two unbeknownst to her brothers doing the same. The light overhead signaled to landing, the AI saying they were at their destination. Rose excitedly turned her head to look out the window, the lights of Seattle twinkling like stars through the night sky. 

The water here looked cleaner, a far cry from Gotham’s rivers and lakes. As the jet approached the runway, Rose watched in child-like wonder as the ground was fast approaching. Jason’s heart leaped at the excited expression on her face, content that at least she got something new and refreshing out of this whole ordeal.

____

Dick sped through Seattle’s main roads, the car they were in was more lowkey than the car they took to leave Gotham, but this time the Wayne Enterprises logo wasn't embled on the car. The tall skyscrapers quickly turned into old buildings and neon lights, reminding her of Miagani and it's flashy shopping district. 

The car pulled into an outdated motel, the neon signs around it vintage looking and flickering. The parking lot was empty, other than a beat up car that was in the staff parking in front of the small check in counter. Parking the car, Dick got out and motioned that he was going to check in, and Jason nodded. Watching him walk off, Jason sighed and observed the motel, glad that it was empty and dead at this hour. 

Rose stayed seated, her hands fiddling with a loose strand on her sweater. Feeling her phone buzz, Rose slipped her phone out from her pocket. A notification for a text message from Luka popped up, and Rose opened it. He had sent her a picture of Rue with a flower hat on her head, her pupils blown wide and her tongue peeking out. Rose smiled, and she turned to Jason. 

She showed him the picture, and she swore she heard a filtered laugh come from him. She looked up from the picture and looked at him, his red helmet staring right back at her. 

A knock on the window sounded and the both of them jumped away from each other, Jason reaching for one of the guns on his hip. Dick poked his head in, dangling two keys in front of them. Jason snatched one from him, already moving to the trunk and shouldering all the bags. He went up the creaky metal stairs and went down the rooms to find the number on the key. 

Dick laughed, moving to open Rose’s door. Thanking him, she went up the stairs and followed after Jason, the air here just as cold as it is in Gotham. Dick locked the car and followed suit, spinning the other key on it's ring around his finger. 

Jason stopped in front of Room 35, the curtains drawn closed from the inside. He unlocked the door and slipped a gun out, listening to the door creak open and clearing the room before Rose came in. After finding no one, he set the bags down on one of the beds, the comforters old fashioned and scratchy. 

He heard the soft footfalls of Rose’s boots against the carpeted floor, her steps going in the direction of the bathroom and the click of the door shutting behind her resounding in the room. Dick walked through the open door, the other key in his hand. “So, we rooming together?” He lilted, jumping onto the other bed and bouncing off of the mattress, the springs creaking.

“No. I agreed to let you come along, but I am  _ not  _ going to risk Rose’s safety, neither by leaving her with you or by herself.” He snapped, his tone curt and final. “She can speak for herself, y’know. Might be a tiny thing but I've seen her go to the gym when I was on watch, can pack a punch.” Dick countered. “ ‘Sides, how're you gonna fare with your...y’know?” Lazily pointing a finger at his helmet, he raised a well groomed eyebrow. “I'll be fine. Rose is our priority here.” Jason reminded Dick, zipping the bag back up after he holstered his hand guns and a couple of knives and ammo. The both of them turned their heads as the door to the bathroom opened, and Rose stepped out. 

“ _ So how are we going to work with the rooms?” _ She signed, her eyes curious. She stood at the foot of the beds, awaiting their response. “Well Red here said he'd room with you, while I was trying to say that I'm sure you'd be fine on your own.” Dick said, his eyes flitting back to Jason mid sentence. Rose crossed her arms, eyes looking back and forth between the two.  _ “I agree with the Red Hood. I might be ok with putting up a fight but that's nothing compared to how strong he is. We can't risk anything going wrong.” _ She signed sheepishly, her head bowed apologetically at Dick. 

For a second the corner of one of his lips pulled upwards in a smirk, but it disappeared before either one of them could catch it. Nodding his head, he pouted “Aw alright, neither of you are any fun.” Springing back up to his feet, he grabbed one of the bags from the bed and waltzed out the door. “Well I’ll just leave you two love birds alone to get settled, I’ll be next door if you need anything.” He singsonged, and the both of them flushed red, Jason sputtering underneath his helmet, the sound distorted by his voice modulator. Before either could counter Dick’s teasing, he was gone, the door closed and the cold Seattle air shut out. 

Rose turned to him, cheeks still dusted pink as she gestured towards the bathroom. Jason snapped out of it, nodding and gently passing her her bag. Taking it, she walked back into the bathroom and closed it with a soft click. Jason sighed from underneath his helmet, sitting down on the squeaky mattress and slumping over. He heard the shower in the bathroom turn on, Rose’s quiet humming slightly muffled from the stream of the water. Moving to turn on the TV, Jason grabbed his duffle bag again and set to polishing and loading his weapons, making sure to be prepared for anything.

______

The lights in the room were off, and Jason was slouched in the armchair by the window. Rain fell instead of snow, and Jason was already dreading getting his clothes wet by the freezing pelts of it. He thought of his old patrols again, nights as Robin spent freezing in the night next to Bruce. He held a sawed off shotgun in his hands, his eyes burning from exhaustion. He had a cup of coffee two hours ago, and the caffeine had worn off, the crash making him more tired than he already was. 

He thought about opening the window and having a quick cigarette break, but he couldn’t risk the exposure. He didn’t know if they were followed here or spotted, it was a no-go; snipers could be perched on one of the buildings, one shot and they’re done for. Even now, Dick could be dead in the room over and he wouldn't have a clue, anything could happen. Wherever Jason went, danger followed.

Shifting his weight to sit more upright, he saw Rose shift in her sleep in her bed. She had been tossing and turning all night, and Jason could see the discomfort on her face. He watched her turn towards him, her back to the door. Her face had trails of tears, her expression scrunched up in sorrow. Her hands trembled next to her head and her lips moved in silent whimpers, fingers reaching out for something that wasn’t there. 

Jason got up from the armchair, setting the shotgun down next to him as he crouched next to Rose at her bedside. He hesitated for a moment before he gently grasped Rose’s hand, his hand enveloping hers softly. He made sure not to wake her, eyes scanning her face from behind his helmet. She squeezed his hand, and when her mouth opened he whispered to her reassuringly. Her face relaxed but her grip on his hand was still tight, never letting go.

His ears burned pink at her touch and when one of her thumbs grazed his wrist his heart skipped a beat. He moved to sit down on the floor, setting his shotgun in his lap. As the rain fell outside, he sat guard next to Rose as she held his hand, her sleep now peaceful. Tomorrow, they set course for Seattle’s local University, in search of who Pamela Isley was, and why Rose is experiencing the changes she is now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! :) As always, don't be afraid to give me feedback <3 Also, I have a jewelry brand in the works and I'm thinking about having a collection or piece centered around Jason and Rose (affordable, of course). I'll keep you all updated (if I don't disappear for another month again lol).

**Author's Note:**

> I'll try to update when I can, I recently binged all the red hood comics again and I am now obsessed with DC and Jason Todd again. I love him.


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